Third Time's the Charm

By Bashfulglowfly

Chapter Nine

Minako came back to herself. She looked around and realized that she was at the Shrine. Off to her left Ami and Makoto were being supported by Zoi and Neph as they vomited in the bushes. Both men were whispering quietly to the girls while holding their helplessly heaving bodies with one arm and keeping their hair out of their faces with the other.

Rei was on the ground with Jade holding onto her trying to keep her from scratching her face. It was obvious that she'd succeeded a couple of times from the bloody marks running down her normally perfect face.

She felt something dripping off her chin and swiped at it. Looking at her hand, she saw blood and realized that she'd bitten through her lip. Kun…no, Kazuya stood in front of her, his gray eyes solemn. He reached out a hand and stopped just short of touching her. "May I heal you?" he asked.

Minako nodded wordlessly. Kazuya reached out and she felt a gentle tingle across her mouth. He took a handkerchief and gently wiped away the blood from her chin and hands.

Kazuya looked around at the Senshi and Shitennou. Then looked at Usagi and Mamoru. Mamoru was holding the tiny girl tight as she sobbed in his arms. Kazuya sighed. "Doing that hurt her more than it hurt you, I think."

Minako coughed to clear her throat. "It had to be done. Otherwise, we'd never really trust you. We NEED to trust you." She straightened up. "Everyone is going to need water. Will you help me?"

By the time the pair returned with several bottles of water, Zoi and Neph had led Ami and Makoto to the Shrine's porch and were sitting with the girls on their laps. Jade had picked Rei off the ground and sat her on the steps and sat next to her, making sure she didn't fall over. Minako took the water bottles from Kazuya and handed them out to everyone.

Makoto's hands shook so hard, Neph took the bottle away from her to open it then handed it back.

Ami's hands didn't shake but her eyes were obviously still haunted.

Jade took a bottle for himself and one for Rei. He twisted off the cap and held the bottle to the priestess' mouth, forcing her to swallow the water before it spilled.

Kazuya looked over at Usagi and Mamoru who were still standing apart from the others. He raised a bottle and wagged it at Mamoru who nodded, picked up Usagi and walked over to the rest. He sat down on the steps with Usagi on his lap across from Jade and Rei. Mamoru leaned over and brushed his fingers across Rei's face, healing the scratches, then he accepted the water from Kazuya. Kazuya handed another to Usagi who looked up at her older brother, sighed and opened the bottle and drank down half.

Silence reigned until Ami spoke. "Who was Beryl? I mean who was Beryl before she became Beryl?"

Usagi leaned back against Mamoru; her head nestled in his shoulder. "She was the daughter of King Terran's Horse Master."

"I don't remember her." Said Mamoru.

Usagi twisted to look up at him. "Not surprising. Your father didn't want you…trifling…with people like her. Barmaids, courtesans and certain Court Ladies were acceptable but girls like Beryl who's parents were the backbone of the Castle were off limits. So, because of that, you never bothered to notice them." Usagi sighed. "But, she noticed you. Her father didn't permit her to come to the Royal Stables very often, but when she did, you'd be there. You were polite to her. Nothing more. But she developed…feelings…that she couldn't accept that you'd never return. That made the poor girl susceptible to Metallia."

"'Poor girl'?! What do you mean 'Poor girl'!" raged Rei. "She caused the death of BILLIONS of people. And you feel sorry for her?"

Usagi looked at the angry girl calmly. "Yes. I feel sorry for her. I feel sorry for her because she deluded herself into thinking she could have something that was impossible. I feel sorry for her because her parents refused to sit her down and make her understand that. But mostly I feel sorry for her because she cannot ever be reborn and redeem herself."

"What do you mean?" asked Luna. The two cats were perched on the porch rails, tails idly swishing. The memories that had been released had not affected them as visibly as it had the Senshi.

"When I confronted Beryl in her castle and released Endymion from her grasp, she tried to attack me but Endymion was able to stop it and in the process wounded her."

"I remember seeing that." Said Makoto.

Usagi nodded. "So when Beryl fled to Metallia, she didn't realize that Metallia was fully awake. So when she asked Metallia for help it allowed Metallia to consume her utterly. Body and soul. Because Metallia devoured Beryl's soul…she can NEVER be reborn."

"But we were able to be reborn. Both the Shitennou and ourselves." Said Ami.

"Yes." Usagi rubbed her eyes. "I'm not sure what Mother did…or even how she did it. But she was able to snatch the souls of the Shitennou as they died. And when I killed myself, Mother unleashed the power of the Ginzuishou and between that, whatever she did to capture everyone's souls and the power of Saturn, we were all reborn."

"We saw Sailor Pluto. She was with three others at your…are they the Outers?" asked Minako.

"You saw them at my parents' funeral? Yes, they are the Outers. You'll meet them soon. They are watching over Shingo and Chibi-Usa right now."

"Chibi-Usa is your daughter. Your's and Mamoru's. From the future?" asked Ami.

"Yes."

Ami smiled "A daughter who will inherit both the Moon and the Earth Kingdoms."

Usagi and Mamoru didn't look at each other but she felt his amusement along their bond. Don't tell them! She sent. Let them be surprised! She felt Mamoru's laughing agreement.

"I just realized something." Said Rei. Jade looked down at her with a questioning look. "The three of you all answer to your Shitennou names, in fact that's what everyone seems to call you."

Jade smiled "Kazuya was the one that started calling me Jade when we were kids. There were four other boys in my school with the name Yamamoto Jun. So, I tried to distinguish myself from them…not exactly in a good way either. But when Kazuya came to live next door, he suggested I call myself 'Jade.' Not that I knew at the time that was the name I used to have and the name I would have in the future."

"Soi, Zoi. People really don't see the difference with mine." Said Zoicite.

"Neph's shorter." Shrugged Nephrite. "I don't bother explaining how I got it."

Everyone looked at Kazuya. "While I am Kunzite, right now I also have to be Kazuya since I have a job. One day though, I will only be known as Kunzite…just not at this time."

Minako asked, "So what do you have planned?"

"For the moment, nothing." Kazuya replied. "Other than getting Shingo and Usagi enrolled into a school here."

Ami perked up at that. "Do you need help picking a school?"

Kazuya smiled down at her. "No, I've decided to send Shingo to Juuban Elementary. Usagi will attend Juuban Middle." Ami and Makoto stared at him wide-eyed. "Yes, I chose that school because the two of you attend it. And there are a few other people who will help protect her."

"Osaka Naru." Said Mamoru.

Kazuya nodded. The girls frowned. Mamoru grinned at them. "You've wondered why she always seems to be the first one attacked whenever there's a new enemy? It's because she's also Lunarian. She was Serenity's handmaid."

There were groans and mutters of disbelief from everyone. "I know that she was…romanced…by Beryl's second general. And she remembers. If she sees Neph…what's going to happen?" Asked Makoto. "She doesn't deserve to be hurt like that again."

Ami nodded. "She has a pretty good relationship with Umino. He adores her. Neither deserves to be hurt."

"I'll take care of that." Said Usagi. "There's a way I can take those memories away from her. She won't notice. So, when she sees OUR Neph, it won't cause any problems."

"Sounds like we've got the short term taken care of." Said Minako "What about the long term?"

"Eliminate the Dark Moon Clan especially Demando." Mamoru grinned unpleasantly. "After that we prepare for our future and the future of this planet."